About
A destination for over 120 years
Ōkiwi Bay sits on Croisilles Harbour at the northern tip of the Marlborough Sounds. It has been a place people return to for generations.
The bay
Croisilles Harbour opens into Cook Strait at French Pass, where the tidal race between D'Urville Island and the mainland creates one of the most productive fishing and diving environments in New Zealand. Ōkiwi Bay is tucked inside that entrance, sheltered from the Strait but still getting the benefit of the current.
The name Ōkiwi comes from the kiwi that were once common in the surrounding bush. The macron on the O is part of the gazetted name, recognised by the New Zealand Geographic Board in 2018.
People have been coming here for more than a century. The fishing is still the main draw, but the diving, the scalloping, and the simple fact of being somewhere genuinely remote keeps them coming back.
The community
French Pass has about 80 permanent residents. It is a working community, not a tourist village. There is a school, a hall, and a strong sense of looking after the place.
Ōkiwi Bay Holiday Park has been part of that community for decades. The park provides the convenience store that the whole area relies on for groceries, fuel, and fishing supplies. Without it, residents would be driving over an hour each way for basics.
When you stay here, you are staying somewhere real. That is the difference.
Featured on New Zealand television
Ōkiwi Bay has been featured on Gone Fishin', the long-running New Zealand fishing show. The crew came for the same reason everyone else does: blue cod and snapper in numbers, clear water, and a place to clean and fillet the catch on-site.
The fish cleaning benches, the boat ramp access, and the scuba air fills make this a serious destination for serious anglers and divers. Not a resort. Not a glamping site. A place where you can get a full day on the water and sort your catch when you get back.
The park today
Powered sites, tent sites, two self-contained cabins, and the lodge sleeping up to eight adults. The convenience store stocks the essentials: groceries, ice, bait, fishing gear, and basic supplies. Diesel and LPG are available on-site.
The scuba air compressor is the only one in the area. If you are diving in the Sounds and need a fill, this is your stop.
The park is open 7 days a year-round. Call ahead if you are planning to arrive late.
Come and see it for yourself
Powered sites, cabins, and lodge accommodation. Book directly with us.
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